1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ocular characteristics and their role in assessing physical well-being and diagnosing the existence and severity of a disease state.
2. Related Art
The use of chemical and biological agents is an ever-increasing threat to people of all nations. In order to properly treat those who have been exposed to biological or chemical weapons, a rapid diagnosis is imperative. Additionally, in instances where there have been mass casualties as a result of exposure to chemical agents or biological toxins, there is a need for a system of rapidly assessing the severity of each individual's exposure in order to determine the requirements for appropriate treatment.
Due to the interconnection between the eyes and the various physiological systems of the body (e.g., cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, lymphatic, etc.), the eyes may be a key to rapidly diagnosing disease states, including biological toxin or chemical agent exposure. U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,804 issued to Rice et al. discloses a method for detecting the concentration of blood components, such as hemoglobin, glucose, and bilirubin. While this information may be useful to a person already diagnosed with a disease state, i.e., diabetes, for monitoring his or her glucose levels, or to diagnose jaundice in an infant, it does not provide a method for diagnosing any other disease states, such as exposure to chemical agents or biological toxins. Likewise, Rice et al. does not disclose a method for assessing the severity of exposure to such an agent or toxin.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,537 issued to Odom et al. discloses a method for monitoring a medical condition by analyzing light reflected back from a subject's eyes. Using the method taught by Odom et al., it may be possible to determine whether an abnormality exists in the patient's eyes. However, Odom does not teach a method for identifying, i.e., diagnosing, an unknown disease state. Nor does Odom teach a method for assessing the severity of a disease state previously identified. Odom et al. therefore does not provide a method for diagnosing and evaluating the severity of exposure to a biological toxin or chemical agent. There thus remains a need for a real-time, non-invasive method for diagnosing not only the existence of a disease state but also the severity, thereby allowing treatment strategies to be prioritized with respect to need, especially in situations involving mass casualties.